Like many expectant parents, Lisa knew preterm birth was a possibility – especially when early scans revealed she was carrying identical twins.
“I knew there might be a NICU stay and some possible health challenges,” she said. “But I didn’t know that viability was around 23 weeks, or the risks that come with babies being born so early.”
Lisa’s twin sons, Archie Robert Buck and Cooper Keith Buck, were born at 22 weeks and five days gestation, weighing just 520 grams and 540 grams. Archie lived for seven minutes and Cooper lived for 30 minutes. Lisa and her partner, Brad, held them both before saying goodbye.
“It’s something no parent should ever have to experience,” she said.
“We thought everything was fine”
Lisa’s pregnancy had been closely monitored, with regular scans due to the higher risks associated with identical twins. At 22 weeks, she attended what was meant to be her final scan in the private system before transitioning to public care.
“We were told there were no concerns,” she recalled. “That reassurance stayed with us.”
Just three days later, Lisa experienced mild cramping and decided to attend the emergency department local hospital to be safe. After admission the cramping stopped and she and Brad even talked casually about returning to hospital months later to meet their babies.
Then a doctor examined her.
“He told me I was already three centimetres dilated,” Lisa said. “I was terrified. I didn’t want to believe it.”
Labour progressed quickly. When Lisa’s waters broke, the reality became impossible to ignore.
Over the following days, doctors worked to delay birth long enough to reach 23 weeks — the point at which neonatal intervention could be offered.
Lisa was given steroid injections to help rapidly mature her babies’ lungs but soon after she developed an infection which placed her life and the babies’ lives at risk. Doctors explained that waiting longer could become life-threatening for Lisa.
After agonising discussions, she and her partner agreed to induction, hoping against all odds for a miracle.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “We hoped so badly that somehow our boys would survive.”
A different outcome, but the same message
When Lisa fell pregnant three months later, she was enrolled at a specialist preterm birth clinic given her history.
In March of 2023, Lisa welcomed her daughter Emerson Rebecca Buck, born at 34 weeks gestation.
This time, the experience was different.
“When my waters broke, we knew what to expect,” Lisa said. “We had the information. We asked questions. We felt prepared.”
Emerson spent two weeks in the Special Care Nursery and is now thriving.
Then, in December 2025, Lisa gave birth to her youngest child, Spencer, born one day shy of 37 weeks.
“For us, every extra week mattered,” Lisa said. “Reaching nearly 37 weeks felt enormous.”
Spencer did not require intensive care and is doing well. For Lisa, his birth represents not just joy, but the cumulative impact of awareness, monitoring and informed care.
“Each pregnancy carried its own fear,” she said. “But understanding preterm birth — knowing the signs, the risks, and the importance of time — changed how we navigated it.”
Why awareness matters
Lisa now advocates for greater awareness of preterm birth — not just the risks, but the strategies that can help identify and reduce them.
“Women are told a lot about what not to do in pregnancy,” she said. “But we’re rarely told what we can do to prevent the unexpected — until it’s too late.”
She believes having access to information about preterm birth, warning signs, monitoring and prevention strategies could change outcomes — or at the very least, ensure families are better supported.
“Those weeks matter,” she said. “Every single one.”
